Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-09-07
THEATRE TRAGEDY.
Horrible Scenes at the
Burned Building.
WHOLE FAMILIES PERISHED.
Faulty Construction of the Gal
lery Staircase-Escape
was Impossible.
Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD. I

Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALp.I
LONDON, September 6.-The victims
by the burning of the Theater ROYAL.
Exeter, were mostly working people.
AS soon as the flames were put out a
large force began searching for bodies
The stairway leading to the gallery
was literally packed with bodies
while at the head of the stairs there
were scores of others piled one on top
of another. The unfortunate victims
had rushed to the door when the
alarm was given, but found the stair
way blocked and
ESCAPE CUT OFF.
In a short time the flames had
reached them and they suffered hor-
rible death. There were pitiful scenes
in the vicinity Of the theater this
morning, as the friends and relation 8
of the supposed victims waited the
recovery of the bodies.
BOTH PARENTS GONE.
In many cases fathers and mothers
both perished, and numerous chill
dren are thus left without means of
support. Several bodies were burned
so that only a small cinder remained.
The number of persons severely in
jured is 60. 1t is feared the number
OF deaths will reach l40.
ABOUT 200 IN THE GALLERY.
The Erening Standard has ascer-
tanned that there were 200 persons
occupying seats in the gallery and of
these 100 lost their lives. 1t is very
probable that the total number of
deaths will never be ascertained ow-
ing to the fact that many bodies were
completely calcined.
IDENTIFICATION IMPOSSIBLE.
Two stalls of stables belonging to
the hotel adjoining are filed With re-
mains that it is impossible to identity.
Most of the killed were adults and
chiefly men and but few children per
ished. More bodies have been taken
from the ruins. The charred remains
of twenty persons were discovered i'll
one heap.
MOTHER, FATHER AND CHILD
Were found elapsed in one embrace.
In nearly every case clothing has
been torn off the victims. From many
of the bodies limbs were missing, and
the remains showed evidence that
they had been wrenched off. Several
whole families, numbering from two to
five persons lost their lives.
WHY THEY PERIsHED.
The construction of the gallery stair
case accounts for the great loss of life.
Halfway down the flight there was q
sharp angle. The first persons who
left the gallery got past safely, but
several of those who followed were
thrown down and jammed into the
angle, and were unable to extricate
themselves owing to the pressure from
behind. The staircase, at this place,
was effectually blocked, and there was
no other way OF escape.
AN EMPLOYEES STORY.
A scene-shifter says that the fire
started among some gauze, which
became ignited, and the flames spread
to the scenes, of which the stage was
full, owing to the prepara-
tons for the production of q panto-
mine. The audience numbered 800
persons.
A FORMAL INQUEST.
The inquest over the victims was
begun to-day, but it was impossible to
IDENTIFY many of the bodies, and the
Jury simply viewed the remains. A
public funeral will be held tomorrow.
PARLIAMENTARY COMMENT.
In the House of Commons to-day,
Mr.. Matthews, Home Secretary, said
that the calamity at Exeter showed
the necessity of legislation in the
matter, and that the Government in
tended to deal with the subject.
EDITORIAL OPINIONS.
The Standard says that the similar
ity between the Exeter theater fire
and previous disasters suggests the
culpable disregard of the teachings of
The News says that one effect of
this awful disaster will be general
law governing the construction and
of public places through
aut the kingdom. After this accident
and that of the Opera Comique i'll
Paris we ought surely to require NO
more warning.